Friday, November 28, 2008

Image Preview Review for January

Jim: Seriously I cannot believe how drab and unexciting the offerings are from Dark Horse and Image. I know January is a slow sales month, but they are making it a self fulfilling prophecy. Plus it appears Image is trying to clean up their late solicitation act and re-soliciting a lot of stuff.Lee: I can’t wait to work my way through these selections. Just by reading Jim’s intro I know he was bitter-angry dude. That’s always good for reviews.

AMERICAN JESUS, VOL. 1: CHOSEN TP story MARK MILLAR art & cover PETER GROSSFrom the writer of WAR HEROES, KICK ASS and the Universal hit, WANTED! Itis the next MARK MILLAR graphic novel set to become a feature film! AMERICAN JESUS, VOL. 1: CHOSEN follows a twelve-year-old boy who suddenly discovers he's the returned Jesus Christ. He can turn water into wine, make the crippled walk and perhaps even raise the dead. How will he deal with the destiny to lead the world in a conflict thousands of years in the making?JANUARY 14 - 72 PAGES - FC - $9.99RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

Jim: Is this a straight to graphic novel or a new trade. I’m sick of Mark Millar and will wait for others to tell me it is good, before wasting $10 trying it out.Lee: I think it’s straight to trade. Yep, Millar does Jesus. I’m sure this will piss someone off. I’ll pass and wait for reviews too.

FRANK FRAZETTA'S MOON MAID (one-shot) story JAY FOTOS art TIM VIGILcover A FRANK FRAZETTA cover B TIM VIGIL cover C NAT JONESJAY FOTOS (FRANK FRAZETTA'S DEATH DEALER, Locke and Key) and Tim Vigil (FRANK FRAZETTA'S DARK KINGDOM, Faust) team up for an epic tale inspired by one of FRANK FRAZETTAiS most beloved paintings: Moon Maid!On the dead moon of Kyra, a sheltered young Maid is torn between good and evil. As she comes of age and the equinox draws closer, the Maid learns her true identity and what purpose she has in the universe. The only trick is learning who she can trustOeand how to survive her destiny!

Jim: These books have not been great, but they have been highly entertaining and always worth the price of admission.Lee: So you say but I’m still not sold. They’ve been ok. Some have been bad. I think you’re love of Frazetta is blinding you to the greater blandness of these books.

PAX ROMANA TP story, art & cover JONATHAN HICKMANFrom the mind of comic book innovator Jonathan Hickman, comes the exhilarating time-traveling epic: PAX ROMANA. The creator of THE NIGHTLY NEWS brings his unique sensibility to science fiction and the result is a visually stunning look at a new history of the world.PAX ROMANA tells the tale of 5000 men sent on an impossible mission to change the past and save the future.Collects issues #1-4.JANUARY 21 - 136 PAGES - FC - $14.99

Jim: Will the final issue make it out before the solicitation date of the trade? Still an excellent story and some very cool concepts. Hickman is the thinking man’s comic creator. (Update the final issue hit and the overall series is another winner, worth your money and time.)Lee: The final issue will never make it before trade. There isn’t a chance. But, the only way to read Hickman is via trade. The single issues are too dense to remember all the little details that make it great. Don’t get me wrong, it’s strong month-month but I bet it’s great all at once.

Jim: I love this series. SO WOULD THE REST OF YOU JUMP ON WITH THIS BOOK. This type of stunt concerns me that sales are not high enough to sustain this series much longer.Lee: I’m a trade guy for this series. EVERYONE ELSE GO GET SINGLE ISSUES TO SUPPORT ME!

WONDERLOST TP story C.B. CEBULSKI art KHOI PHAM, JONATHAN LUNA, PAUL AZACETA, RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE, ALINA UROSOV, ETHAN YOUNG and more! cover TRAVS CHARESTOne of the most critically-acclaimed and best reviewed books of the past year is now collected into a single volume for the first time! Awkward kisses, nocturnal fumblings, broken hearts... ah, to be teenager in love! For most of us, these are things we'd prefer to forget, but in this autobrographical anthology, C.B. CEBULSKI shines the light on the romances of his past and shares some outrageous high school love stories! It's Fast Times at Ridgemont High meets Mean Girls as we're taken to bonfires, backseats and bedrooms in these touching and sometimes tragic tales. Told in an open and honest style that has garnered the individual issues praise across the publishing world, these slice-of-life tales are sure take readers back to the more carefree times of their own youths.JANUARY 7 - 136 PAGES - FC - $14.99

Lee: Now I think that Cebulski is an underrated writer. I’ve always heard good things about his writing and his Marvel series Loners was very good. This is the material that Cebulski started making his name with so I’m going to check it out.Jim: Sounds a little self indulgent to me and high school romances is not a subject I care about at this point in my life.

FOUR EYES #4 story JOE KELLY art & cover MAX FIUMARA With his hands on a baby dragon, Enrico stands on the precipice of a new life. But is the cost too high to bear?JANUARY 7 - 32 PAGES - FC - $3.50

Jim: I LOVED ISSUE #1. Try this book out. A true gem. Joe Kelly is two for two with this and I Kill Giants.Lee: Joe Kelly has been around forever. He’s always been hot-cold but when he’s hot, he’s great. I’ll be picking up the trade.

PROOF #16 story ALEX GRECIAN art & cover RILEY ROSSMO"THE FUNERAL"The Lodge says goodbye to an agent. Meanwhile, life goes on as a new agent begins work, the ink monkey sets down some rules and Proof gets a date for the first time in a century and a half!JANUARY 28 - 32 PAGES - FC - $3.50

Jim: I check the sales number on this book on occasion and they are so low, that I cannot believe they continue to produce this book and do it monthly. I love these creators for being so devoted to their creation; I just hope they have day jobs.Lee: WOW! Doom and gloom boy picks his favorite books. Yeeeekkkks. I know I enjoy the burgers Grecian makes almost as much as I like his comic books.

ZOMBIE COP Written by Jeff Mariotte Art and cover by Szymon Kudranski 96 pages FC JANUARY 28 $9.99Joe Mundy is a doomed cop, desperately clinging to the last vestiges of his humanity before the virus that infected his town turns him into zombie as well! Will he have enough time to solve the mystery of what caused the virus before he succumbs to his horrific fate?Alternately humorous, horrific and tragic Zombie Cop will leave you questioning just what it means to be human.Critically acclaimed author Jeff Mariotte brings a tale of horror you’re unlikely to forget!

Jim: Okay before this post hits the blog I will publish my “Soul of a Zombie” story, not the same but still playing on humanity of Zombies.Lee: OH THE HUMANITY is right. You’re killing me with these picks. Although, Mariotte, author of the Desperado series, writes a mean horror story.

HEATHENTOWN OGN Written by Corinna Sara Bechko Art and cover by Gabriel Hardman96 pages B/WJanuary 21 $9.99When Anna travels deep within the Florida Everglades to attend her loveris funeral, she finds herself in an eerie small town where death is but a horrible beginning! In an attempt to discover the truth, she digs up her lover's coffin, starting a chain reaction which brings an ancient malevolence into the town bent on her destruction! Heathentown previews here

Lee: I just found the previews and the art looks great!!!! The story sounds good and $10 price point is perfect for me. I am going to take a chance on this one. I am so easily swayed by good art.

Jim: Has potential, but I'll wait for your review.

ARCHIBALD CHASES THE DRAGON written by DARA NARAGHIart & cover by GRANT BOND32 pgTwo-ColorJANUARY 7 $3.50Archibald Aardvark thought the murder of his brother was solved, but when a stranger tips him off to a cover-up, he travels to Little China in search of the mysterious "Compassionate Wind of Death"! This noir tale of greed, secrets, and a deal with the devil will have you deliciously anticipating if our hapless hero will survive long enough to stitch together a few answersOeor will he fall victim to the red dragon haunting his fevered dreams?TAG: Archibald takes the classic animation of Fleischer Studios and kicks it out a moving car in the middle of Roman Polanski's Chinatown.Retailer Warning: Mature Readers only.

Jim: More Archibald, that has to be a good thing.Lee: New author. Same artist. I wonder how that worked?

MIDNIGHT NATION OVERSIZED Deluxe Hardcover (W) J. Michael Straczynski (A) Gary FrankMidnight Nation is a thought-provoking story with religious overtones about a police officer in limbo who goes on a cross-country search for his soul but encounters some mighty obstacles along the way. J. Michael Straczynski’s provocative storytelling and the fantastic art of Gary Frank (Action Comics, Squadron Supreme) captivated readers with its mix of action, horror and drama built around a message of hope, loyalty and sacrifice.Collected now for the first time in a deluxe, oversized hardcover, this edition includes Midnight Nation #1-#12, the WizardÂ½ issue, a spectacular cover gallery and never-before-seen extras!Full Color 304 pages $34.99 hardcover

Jim: A wonderful story and the series that made me a JMS fan. Fantastic artwork by Gary Frank, this is an easy buy.Lee: Very, very easy buy. A fantastic story.

I HATE GALAXY GIRL #3 (of 3) plot by JIM VALENTINO script by KAT CAHILL art by SETH DAMOOSE cover by JIMMIE ROBINSON32 pagesFCJANUARY 14 $3.50"No More Heroes"All bets are off as Tempest and Galaxy Girl have the showdown this series has been building up to! With no one left to trust and nowhere left to run, Renee learns about the dark side of heroism. The final fate of the Fellowship of Freedom is revealed! Please, don't reveal this issue's SHOCKING ENDING to anyone!

Lee: WHAT??? I picked it for the articles. Not be because Jimmie “Bomb Queen” Robinson does the best soft por… best portraits of latex women I have seen in a long time.

Jim: His stuff is cute and amusing, but a lot of artists draw better looking women.

VELOCITY #1 (W) Joe Casey (A) ChrisCross (Cov) ChrisCross, Kenneth RocafortAnother Pilot Season winner gets its “series premiere.” Cyberforce’s resident speedster, Velocity, gets her own solo series because you voted for it!Even with her super-speed, it seems the past still has its way of catching up with Carin Taylor. When a certain blue-skinned mogul reappears in her life to make her an offer she shouldn’t refuse, Velocity discovers that saying no can get her killed!Featuring spectacular art by ChrisCross (Captain Marvel, Firestorm) and a stunning variant cover by Kenneth Rocafort (Madame Mirage).

Lee: Joe Casey. Hot lately. Chris Cross, great artist missing from a monthly book for far too long. I have no love for Velocity as a character but if anyone can make this work, this creative team can. I’m in for at least a couple of issues.

Jim: I have no love for the character and therefore regardless of the team I will pass on this book.

IMPALER #2 (W) William Harms (A) Matt Timson (Cov) Matt Timson The massive vampire army, numbering in the millions, pushes west, out of New York and into Pennsylvania. Desperate to hold the line against the undead horrors, Lt. George Wagner leads a team of soldiers in the defense of Philadelphia. And back in New York, Victor is healed by the most potent medicine of all — Vlad’s blood. Visit Timson hereFull Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series

Lee: Did we talk about this before? I can’t remember but it certainly looks interesting. It reminds me of the book “They Thirst” by Robert R. McCammon which is one of the greatest Vampire novels ever. I have to say that massive vampire armies sounds really cool.Jim: It certainly has potential, I may try issue #1 when it hits the stands.

Jim: Not as thin as Dark Horse, still what I would consider relatively light.Lee: It was thin until I got ahold of it. Image still has great offerings with plenty to chose from unlike DH this month.